The Shure SM58 is the 'old line' standard for vocals recording. I have 2 SM58's for vocals and 2 SM57's for instruments. They work well. However there are lots of choices out there and probably some better ones for the price that others who are more into studio gear than I am.

My sole experiment is with a Chinese made Superlux condensor mic which has great sound for a low price. I use this in a situation where multiple voices/instruments need to share 1 mic.

Assuming that your mixer has phantom power, a large diameter condensor mic is the way to go for vocals. There are several in the same price range as a Shure SM58.

I have heard some very good recordings on this Forum made by using mics made by Marshall, Behringer, SE, Studio Projects, etc. Most of these use the same generic Chinese capsules and electronics. I would suggest that you try the mic before buying it and select the one that has the lowest background noise (hiss). It is worth trying a few since factory quality control in this price range can be spotty, at best.

Once you experiment a bit with mic placement, mixer settings, etc. you will have a good to go rig for making simple home demos and practice mixes.

The KEL HM-1 mic is very darn good and it cost only 100 bucks shipped. They test each mic before it ships to ensure quality and sound. They have a money back guarantee if your not satisfied with the mic. Here is there website.

Here you go, this a track I call The Uno. Now mind you I am no expert in recording and I should probably play with mic placement a bit more but I am a beginner at recording. This is just one mic placed somewhere around the 12 fret. Enjoy

ronmac, what is the difference between the shure sm-58 and sm-57? I am looking for a decent but inexpensive mic to record acoustic guitar - no vocals, (or very few anyway). As Leo Kotke once said - my voice sounds like goose farts on a foggy morning. I am leaning toward the shure line because there are a ton of them on eBay and a used one will be fine for my purposes. Nothing fancy, just making recordings for my own use when working out a new piece.

The main difference between the SM57 and SM58 is the body casing. The SM58, thought of primarily as a vocal mic, has a ball type head that encloses the mic capsule. The SM57, thought of primarily as an instrument mic, has a cylindrical capsule encloser. In the 57 the capsule is very close to the screen and this allows you to place the capsule closer to the sound source, a key consideration for micing drums, guitar cabinets, etc.

The 57 can be a decent acoustic guitar mic. It is used a lot for instrument micing on festival stages. They are very heavily constructed and are consistant sounding.

Although thought of as an instrument mic a few performers use it for vocals: US President, Tom Petty and Bruce Springsteen to name a few. A lot of sound engineers would name the 57 as the first mic anyone should buy, based on its build quality, price and ability to work OK on just about any source.

A lot of people will probably come back and tell you that you MUST use a condensor mic for acoustic guitar. That would be my first choice too. But if you are a) on a budget; b) not recording in a treated studio space; c) don't have a recording chain that supplies phantom power d) want something that you will keep for ever and not have to baby, the 57 is the way to go.

If you have a few more dollars in your budget you can upgrade to the Beta 57A (I use these as my go to mics for festival stage instrument micing). They have a little more output and smoother frequency response than the 57.

I second the KEL Mics. Although the hm-4 is probably better for vocals, I can only afford so much so I just use my hm-1 for vocals right now. I'm in the same boat as jox51. i have 2 hm-1's which go to my mobilpre and then to audition. And just something from my own expierence, it's cool to have stereo sound but only if you know what your doing. Ive recently found my recordings sound better in mono with just the one mic around the 12/14 frets.